Crafted

So many beautiful gifts were crafted by the quilt guild women. I received a beautiful kitchen angel made out of a dishcloth, a tea towel, a hot pad, and some silk ribbon. Simply by folding and tying, a pretty angel was made. Jeanette also made a set of three fabric trimmed tea towels, two crocheted dishcloths, and some delicious candied trail mix for me. It was all packaged it a pretty vintage gift box from the 1950's. The box is as much a treasure as the rest of the gift!

Jane received a beautiful evergreen wreath that was decorated with sea shells and sea foam green ribbon. She loved it! She says it is perfect for her beach themed sunroom in her home.

Chris made framed art for Judy. It's something she machine embroidered and is called "Anatomy of the Quilting Bee" (Quilters Insectus). It shows all the tools that quilters need. At the bottom it shows a picture of a sock by the sewing machine with the words: "husbands sock waiting to be mended". Cute. {Do you mend your husband's socks? I don't!}.

Karleen brought a special treat for everyone! She made quilting stilettos that she packaged attractively on a card that shares all the things it can be used for.

They are beautiful! I love the combination of pretty beads she used to create this useful "object of art".

I came away inspired! I'm already thinking up ideas for things I can make for next year's Christmas in January gift exchange. What a talented and generous group of quilting friends.

A Quiltin' Good Time

The dreary and cold days of January are made more blessed by time with friends. They help to break the monotony of sunshine's lack and short days. Because families are so busy during the holiday season, our community quilt guild decided to hold their Christmas party in January.

Twenty-one lovely women gathered for lunch and a homemade gift exchange. Names were drawn months ago and everyone has been busy stitching or crafting something special for the one whose name they drew.

Karleen and I were no exception. She made a beautiful "house" themed table runner for her exchange partner while my crochet hook was busy with handmade dishcloths and a long, sashay scarf. I also packaged up a selection of the handmade soaps I've been mixing up this month.

We opened our gifts, one by one, with many oooooo's and awwwwww's from everyone! Such talented women! And they are so generous with their talents.

This gift is inside this beautifully embroidered gift bag. The group members with machine embroidery machines can really create some stunning things!

Someone made this little flower pin cushion. Isn't it cute? 

I love the little ladybug.

Look! 

A machine embroidered Christmas table runner is loved and appreciated by Judy.

Karleen received a soft and flowing infinity scarf in purple and a lovely floral table runner.

Everyone had a good time. 

Sharing and conversation is always fun!

The time ended too soon. But the opportunity to spend time together added sparkle to the week! And yes, you can be sure that I added a touch of "tea" to my exchange partner's gift. An ample supply of tea in a pretty crafting mug should be serving her well for awhile. Plus, I included a book about quilting --- just so she'd have something to read while she sipped her tea.

Tomorrow I will share pictures of a few more of the items that were created and gifted at this exchange.

What happened in your world last week to give you a little "sparkle"?

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Moments. Precious time with family. Exchanging gifts. Appreciating the little things in life. Blessings.

Presents in Pots

Autumn is here and winter isn't far behind. The holiday season is usually abundant with the blessing of fellowship with those we hold dear and lots and lots of presents! Gift giving is an integral part of the upcoming holiday season. Presenting a gift in a pot is a fun way to wrap up some of your holiday giving. Here are a few ideas for making your own potted presents.

Ingredients:

*Pot --- Pick a pot that is the right size for your gift idea and is a style and color that compliments the gift. If you are mailing your pot, pick a light-weight plastic one.

* Stuffing--- Fill the bottom of your pot with a stuffing that will help lift up your gift and "show it off". Good stuffers are tissue, shredded tissue, Easter grass, a crushed colorful bag, or popcorn.

* Gift --- This is the fun part! The possibilities are endless. Coordinate the colors for a real splash. Adding colorfully wrapped candy, silk or dried flowers really adds pizazz. Don't forget to put in a package of seed that ties in with your theme.

*Tying It Up --- If you are sending your gift, you will need to wrap it in Saran or cellophane, then tie it with raffia, french ribbon, shredded Mylar ribbon, or strips of netting. If you will hand deliver your pot, then leave it unwrapped and tie your bow around the pot. Painted and stenciled designs on your pot make it really unique.

* Card --- Be creative! Make homemade cards, use recipes, seed packets, sachet packets, postcards, etc. Whatever it is, let the message you inscribe on it reflect the fun you had making this potted present as you thought of them.

Types of Pots:

*Bath Pot --- Fill this one with soaps, lotions, loofah and new undies!

*Dessert Pot --- Provide the ingredients to make a yummy dessert (like mint brownies)!

*Garden Pot --- Stuff it with garden gloves, trowel, seeds and a book about flowers.

*Get Well Pot --- Full of items for god health; Kleenex, lozenges, "chicken soup mix", and crackers.

* Kids Pot --- Your favorite munchkin will love getting a pot of crayons, markers, a tablet, and their own packages of seeds to plant.

What other ideas can you think up for pot types? I'd love to read them. Please post your ideas in the comments section of this post. Happy gifting!

Lavender 'n' Lemon Tisane

With winter fast approaching, efforts are being made by those who enjoy and grow herbs to harvest and preserve them before cold weather arrives. Naturally dried herbs from a home garden make a great addition to recipes like tomato sauce, soup, breads, and cookies. And they also make delightful tisanes. 

Here's a recipe for Lavender 'n' Lemon Tisane that is sure to bring comfort and joy during the coldest months of winter.

1 cup lemon verbena, dried and crumbled
1 cup lemon balm, dried
1/3 cup lavender bud, dried
1/2 cup chamomile, dried

Blend ingredients together in a small bowl. When well mixed, transfer to a pint jar and seal with a lid. Tie jar with a raffia or satin bow. Include a handmade gift tag that has these instructions:

To brew tisane:  Use 1 1/2 tsp. per 8 ounces of boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes. Then strain. Sweeten with honey or stevia. Enjoy!

If you prefer a more full-bodied tea, you can add loose leaf black tea to the ingredient mix. You may want to steep less time with this addition. Or instead, replace the chamomile with your favorite green tea. The possibilities are endless!

Hootycreeks

Have you ever heard of Hootycreeks? I hadn't until a White Elephant gift exchange this holiday season when Rylan received two pretty mixes for cookies in a jar. One was for a cookie called Cranberry Hootycreeks. What an unusual name! Does anyone have an idea where this creative cookie and unusual name came from? I looked it up online to see if I could find more information and found the recipe on the Christmas Organized website and at All Recipes. It appears that the name Hooty Creek comes from the business name chosen by the couple who developed this tasty cookie. They made "cookie in a jar" mixes that they sold at bazaars and craft fairs. The Hooty Creek mixes became popular and this recipe, which combines dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts became an instant hit. They've been called Cranberry Hootycreeks ever since. And now we know. It's fun to learn something new every day, isn't it!

A Little Bit of England

Karleen brought a little bit of England home with her.  The part she gave to me arrived in a golden shopping bag with the words Buckingham Palace marked across the front.  It was so much fun to open!  She knew that I have several "Princess Diana" decorative plates and that I would really love to have one from the royal wedding to go with my collection.  She found not just one, but two lovely plates that she gave to me.  The first is quite royal looking.  The colors are a deep royal blue with gold trim.  They encircle pictures of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Their pictures are surrounded by their names, their royal coat of arms, and English flags.  I will be hanging this plate in a set that includes a decorative plate that my dad gave to me years ago when Prince William was born.  It commemorates his birth.

The second plate is somewhat smaller, but more romantic than royal.  It's very sweet in mauve with flowers circling a picture of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  It includes their names and the place and date of their marriage.

My package also contained a set of votive candles from Buckingham Palace.  Can you see the royal coat of arms?  The candle fragrance is English lavender and they smell wonderful!  Even when unlit, their fragrance fills the room.

I decided that the candles look best on the mantle and I love how they cast their lavender fragrance throughout the room.

An official program from the royal wedding was included in my package.  Karleen knew exactly what I'd enjoy!  After all, I'm probably the only person in her group of friends who got up in the middle of the night to watch the royal wedding live!

Lastly, the package contained a beautifully decorated box of English Afternoon Tea from Buckingham Palace.  The same lovely lavender color and golden logo is used on the tea box as was embossed on the votive candles.  I haven't tried the tea yet.  My tendency is to save it for a special occasion.  Maybe I should invite Karleen over soon for a cuppa!  That would be the perfect conclusion to a delightful bag of gifts!  Thank you, Karleen!

Planning for Lavender

 
Do you enjoy the fragrance and flavor of lavender?  Some do, and a few don't.  It will be a month or so before the Spanish lavender starts blooming.  A few weeks after that, the Grosso, Hidcote, Munstead, and other lavenders will start to bloom proficiently!  If you don't have any lavender in your garden, it's time to plan ahead.  If you buy a gallon container of lavender from a nursery and plant it in your garden, you can enjoy blossoms of your own this summer.  Once the lavender starts to bud, keep watch.  Just before the buds start to blossom, harvest the lavender and place them in a warm place (outside of direct sunlight) to dry.  Once dry, remove the bud by rubbing the stems and bud between your hands.  Use a screen large enough to allow the bud to pass through, leaving the stems and leaves on the screen.  You can then use the cleaned lavender for cooking or crafts.  Here's one way of using lavender in your kitchen or for gifts, so plan ahead!

Lavender Sugar ~ flavor sugar by burying a few sprigs or bud in a bowl of sugar, and let the mixture sit for few weeks; this makes a sweet gift! Place lavender sugar in a small glass jar. Add a jar with ring and cover with tulle or cotton print. Tie with a pretty bow and add a silver teaspoon for serving into a delicious cup of tea!

Spending for Happiness

The Bible says that it is better to give than to receive. It's not a very popular message this day and age, but a recent study reveals it to be so. Spending money can buy happiness, but there is one catch. It seems you have to spend the money on others to achieve the joy. According to the University of British Columbia's Elizabeth Dunn, Ph.D., we are significantly happier when we spend pro-socially --- on gifts or charity. Her conclusion comes from the result of a survey of over 600 Americans from all income levels. Even when volunteers were given $5.00 to spend on either themselves or on others, sharing gleaned the most joy. According to Dr. Dunn, the good feeling that results lasts for six to eight weeks longer than the happiness that comes from a vacation. I don't know about you, but I find that shopping for others is much more fun for me than shopping for myself! I found this study most interesting and a real confirmation of that for me. Is it the same for you?